Ok, I think that some of my problems are sorted out. The family one that will not be disclosed here, at least. But now I have nother problem that only YOU can solve: may I please be informed by you as to why I got one review to each of the last two chapters? Seriously! Two reviews to as many chapters! ONE EACH! Do I need to coax reviews out of you with plushies? Is that it? Or maybe the threat of no new chapter until I get some reviews? Hm? Shall I? Because I will if necessary! And after this chapter, there is one, maybe two, more! You know what, I'll make it two more. And if you don't give me a few reviews after this chapter, then I will be mean, leave a huge cliffie, and not update until I get a nice, large amount of reviews.

Hollyleaf: Aduial Rana, the evil genious. *sniffs* I'm so proud!

Aduial: I know. With luck, I won't have to do that. Reviews are really some of the few things that make me feel special. Compliments on doing a good job in Drama Club productions, reviews to my stories, and good marks. Those are the things that make me feel proud. I know, it's sad. But I can't help it! I just get so down on myself with negativity, that I NEED assurance that I'm better than I think.

Blackstar: That is sad.

Aduial: I know. Now, on with the story!

Echopaw: Yay!

Chapter 20

The Battle of WindClan Part 1:

Preparations

Echopaw ran towards Lightning.

"Echopaw, stay way from him!" yowled Onestar, leaping between his daughter and the rogue. "He's a rogue, he's dangerous!"

"No, yo're wrong!" Echopaw mewed. "His name's Lightning, he used to be a DarkClan cat, but he was ex-"

"What?" snarled Onestar. "He's DarkClan? And you know him?"

"Yes, but he's good! He was exiled for defying his mother, Ivytalon-"

"He's Ivytalon's son! And you trust him?" Onestar looked very angry. Echopaw flinched slightly.

"Onestar, please!" she begged. "Just look at him! Does he look like a threat to you? And he came to us for help!"

Onestar hesitated. True, this 'Lightning' didn't appear to be a threat, lying passed out on the ground, but DarkClan wasn't trustworthy.

Echopaw's heart was racing. What would her father say? Would he let Lightning go? Or not?

"Onestar, Echopaw is wise," mewed a beautiful she-cat identical to Echopaw. "If she trusts this 'Lightning' then maybe we should as well."

He hesitated again. "That is true, Silverleaf. I guess we can trust-"

"They're coming!" Lightning gasped suddenly. "They're coming to kill us all!" The ginger tom was in hysterics.

"What?" mewed Onestar. "You have our attention, please speak clearly."

Lightning gasped for breath. "All the rogues! They're going to kill all the rogues, particularly the Resistance. The warrior ceremony! They need rogues for it! They captured a bunch of the rogues of the Resistance for that purpose. I had to warn you! Right before the warrior ceremony, they were going to attack WindClan and conquer you! If they have the rogues, the ceremony for my littermates must be soon! And I saw them! A large group! Coming to kill you all! They'll be here by nightfall!"

The WindClan cats' eyes widened in horror at his news. Mass hysteria ensued.

"We're doomed!"

"We'll all die!"

"We must flee now, while we still can!"

"Silence!" thundered Onestar above the uproar. WindClan fell silent immediately. The leader turned back to Lightning. "Are you certain of this?" he demanded of the terrified rogue.

"I'm certain of it, I remember Ivytalon speaking of it before I was exiled," Lightning replied, his eyes still wide in horror.

Onestar turned and leaped up onto the Tall Rock. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneatht the Tall Rock for a clan meeting" he yowled, though it was hardly necessary. Most of the cats had already gathered during the uproar.

"We are soon to be attacked!" he yowled. "DarkClan is rising like the darkness that apparently one again threatens to engulf us all!" He listened as the cats murmured amongst themselves for a moment. "Lightning has told us that every rogue's life is at stake, and that the rogues have formed a rebellion! They will be used in the warrior ceremony of DarkClan cats." Onestar looked to Lightning for clarification on that matter.

"It's true! In DarkClan, to become a warrior, you must kill a rogue. Rogues are considered unclean and useless, impure." As he spoke, Lightning gained confidence.

"Can you tell us more about the attack, Lightning?" asked Onestar. "As a DarkClan exile, you are bound to know more about them than any of us."

"DarkClan has grown since they last fought the clans. Their cats have bred, forming a new bloodline. Most likely they will be sending in mostly those with WindClan blood, but they haven't enough of those so there will also be others as well. Most likely they will try to surround the amp and enter from as many sides as possible. A full scale seige and ambush. As long as we an hold the camp long enough for help to arrive, we'll be fine." He looked around t the WindClan cats.

"Help?" echoed Onestar. "What kind of help?"

"It's currently sunhigh, so I am going to assume that there are patrols out hunting and marking borders." Onestar nodded. "And DarkClan will try to outnumber us, and not count on another clan coming to our aid. Therefor, we will need the help of another clan or two. Perhaps ThunderClan and SkyClan?" Onestar nodded.

"Its a good plan," he mewed.

"Also, I was hoping that perhaps we could rescue the other rogues," Lightning mewed, shuffling his paws. "They're my friends, and if we can prevent the warrior ceremonies as long as possible, we can slow the war and prepare more."

"Of course. As soon as our clan is safe, I will send a patrol with you to rescue them. I will even go myself," Onestar promised.

"Thank you," mewed Lightning, dipping his head.

Onestar glanced to his deputy. "Ashfoot, go to ThunderClan and SkyClan. Tell them that DarkClan means to attack WindClan by nightfall. Silverleaf," he mewed, turning to his mate. "Find the patrols and fetch them back. We must prepare ourselves for attack. Go swiftly, both of you!" he urged. "We have no time to waste. War is upon us!"

There you go! And before I forget... *coaxes with a Onestar plushie* review please!

Hollyleaf: Yes! We wants reviews!

Blackstar: Hollyleaf, 'we wants' is improper grammar.

Hollyleaf: Shut it, Stalker!

Aduial: Not that again!